CHINA/TRADE WAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “As China and the United States escalate a trade war, the Chinese government is turning to familiar Wall Street and Washington insiders for advice on understanding President Donald Trump — with underwhelming results. Corporate leaders and former U.S. officials who have spent years cultivating relationships with Beijing — such as Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson — have been fielding calls from Chinese officials anxious for information on what is driving U.S. actions on the trade front. But even administration officials are often at a loss to predict what the president might do on a given day, and people close to Schwarzman, Paulson and Dimon say their informal efforts to guide the Chinese on dealing with the Trump administration have been frustrating and generated little success. For the Chinese, it’s an opportunity to maintain good relationships with business leaders who invest heavily in their economy. For Wall Street executives, it’s a chance to work both sides in an effort to head off a trade war that could roil markets and dent economic growth — and their bottom lines.”
-Victoria Guida and Ben White, “Wall Street titans fail to explain Trump to China,” Politico, July 6, 2018 11:45 am